September Event - Guest Appearances

[pumpkinhollow]

GUEST APPEARANCES

Ignition

September 20th is the Autumnal Equinox. Many places across the world of Concorde celebrate the first day of fall. While various nations and regions have their own cultural practices surrounding it, nature is god everywhere. And so the inception of Mother Autumn’s domain is universally recognized, even if the names change from place to place. But on a little island named Marrow, in a little town called Pumpkin Hollow, there is another reason to celebrate.

The birth of Dahlia Leeds is not so important an event that it supersedes Celestine herself, and neither Dahlia nor anyone in town is foolhardy enough to claim as much. In fact, after the events on this very same day last year, one might argue that perhaps her birth at least started out as a bad thing. But she is certainly the wealthiest person in town. It is through the combination of substantial wealth and a generous heart, two things that are very seldom found in the same place, that we end up with a soiree where the birthday girl would rather spoil everyone else on her day than herself.

The doors to Leeds Estate, which presides proudly over the town upon its throne at the crest of Founder’s Hill, are flung wide open. Large sums of Brass are paid to caterers, florists, and seamstresses to make sure this place is decorated to the nines. Some businesses labor all year, just to prepare for the handsome payoff they’ll get from this event alone. And you, dear neighbor, are invited. Not only are you invited, but you are dressed for the event in whatever your heart desires, completely at the birthday girl’s expense. Dahlia ensures no cost nor conflict stands in between anyone in town and a much-needed break. She is determined for this birthday of hers to be a good night.

Or else.

Incipience

{ The timeframe between ignition and the peak of burning, where a small, contained fire spreads and grows gradually into an established flame. All it takes is a spark. }

The whole town is abuzz as preparations for the gala begin. From the moment people begin to wake up for the day, the air throughout Pumpkin Hollow just feels electric with excitement. After August, people have been needing this lift in morale, and after how last year’s gala went… well, there’s a lot riding on this one. And Dahlia seems much more in control now.

Speaking of being in control, the whole lead-up process has been incredibly organized. You wake up to a delivery--- your outfit, perfectly tailored and completely paid for. Accessories are included. She truly thought of everything.

It’s noteworthy that Dahlia’s invitations this time included another name beneath her own. “Suzanne Marie Dyneax,” it said. Most people don’t know the name, but gossip gets around in a small town like this. It’s not hard to pick up on the fact that this probably refers to Susie, one of the teenagers that Dahlia recently moved into her home, whose own birthday was ruined by Seemingly’s attack. Gift baskets have been delivered to others whose days were in proximity to the disaster--- Zivia, Capochin, even CT. Wine, fruit, and sweets, along with a birthday card. Dahlia has said in the past, “my birthday is your birthday,” but never has that felt more true.

With businesses mostly closed for the celebration, you are left with the majority of the day to prepare in relative peace. For many of the women in Dahlia’s inner circle, there is even a pre-party group dressing room set up on the third floor of her home. Only those who received her special invitation (Susie, Noelle, Fever, Cassandra, Anya, Alice, Patty, Melanie, Basira, Elsie) are permitted to join, but any friends or partners are gladly invited to wait at the bottom of the stairs for the girls to make their grand entrance.

The food is laid out, flowers placed, dresses laced and buttoned. The clock strikes 6pm, and the fun begins.

FLASHOVER

{ The moment when a blaze reaches its maximum size and heat, and the radiant heat in the space is such that all combustible materials ignite at once, allowing the flame to steadily and freely burn for the rest of the night. }

By the time it reaches 6:15, the ballroom is already flooded with eager dancers and hungry dinner guests. After all, the whole town is invited, and everyone’s excited to see Dahlia’s beautiful new ballroom and take a load off.

The music is elegant, played by a rotating cast of musicians who join the party when their act is over. The food is extravagant--- Dahlia and two of her partners are some of the biggest foodies in town, so this is expected. There is talking and laughing and the swirling of ballgowns, and all is well.

But there is a guest you do not recognize in the corner of the ballroom. An older man with white hair, strong features, and a dour expression. You can see Dahlia eyeing him, then flitting over to him, then talking to him. Her expression shifts from anxious, to annoyed, to resigned, before at last she sighs heavily and leaves him to it. Whatever it is that’s going on, clearly it’s something Dahlia is willing to begrudgingly tolerate in order to get back to having fun.

The reason for the disturbance becomes clear in short order, but by the grace of Celestine (and perhaps Eligos), it isn’t a reality bending nightmare or an attack by some monstrous beings. It is simply more guests.

A lot more, in fact.

Those who were on the island in September of the previous year will recall the Visitor’s Center, which appeared briefly just past the beach and served as temporary living and meeting quarters for visitors from the homeworlds of current residents. It would seem that this is a repeat incident. For the night of the gala, one to two “plus ones” have been invited for the vast majority of offworld residents. Most of them are friends or family who are happy to see their guests--- but this is ultimately a working of Eligos, so naturally, this is not always the case.

At the very least, Eligos seems to have been generous with his own granddaughter. As she turns away from him, she very nearly runs into someone much shorter than her. A dark haired human man with dwarfism. He laughs at the accident, grinning up at her as she stares back at him, utterly baffled. Then, petticoats billowing out, Dahlia sinks to the floor and embraces him as tight as she can, head pressed to his chest with little regard for her carefully-styled hair. Even those across the room can hear her shout his name. ”Jonah!”

Within the hour, the ballroom is packed with nearly double the people originally expected, turning the party livelier than it’s ever been. Tearful reunions, laughter, dancing, mischief, romance, sparring, cruelty, and even proper, righteous violence. Truly, this Leeds Gala will be one for the books!

--------
[ OOC reminders: each apped-in player character is entitled to one or two guests from their homeworld. This can be former selves, family, friends, enemies, and they do not have to be from the character’s exact canonpoint. They can be from the past or the future. You may play them yourself, ask another member player to do it, or recruit a non-member player to do so with moderator approval. Non-member players are permitted to join the Discord server while they’re active in this event! Threads you write for your own guests are eligible for AC for the character they’re there with, and threads you write for someone else’s guest can be used on the AC of a character of your choice. Just make sure to mark them as guest threads. After the gala, guests will be allowed to move freely about town, stay the night on Saturday and go home Sunday, or leave right after the gala if preferred. And last but not least, characters played in the gala can be apped directly from this event, rather than going through the normal arrival process. Let a mod know if you have questions, and have fun! ]

Smoldering

{ The decay of a flame as available heat, oxygen, and burning material gradually diminish. Eventually, the flames will recede entirely into glowing embers, glittering like orange starlight amid the ashes of what once was. }

The party rages well into the night. It’s not typical for residents of Pumpkin Hollow to stay out this late, with everything around here that goes bump in the night, but eventually party-goers begin to find their way out. They move in small groups, huddled around lanterns, may they ever stay lit. Perhaps the surprising bit is that their guests can go with them. There are even reservations made for board overnight at the Oak & Iron, all under the name “E. Rex”.

But alas, these reservations are only booked for one night. And by the time the sun begins to set on the darker half of the year for the first time, an unfamiliar black boat is moored at Jack's Marina. One that the guests will recognize as the vessel on which they arrived. They must leave by the time it becomes dark.

Or must they? Perhaps for a select few, they will fail to feel the call which draws them home. It is unclear why. There are many that Mortanne would have allowed residency for, if she could. But for some reason, all but a small few feel the pull. Perhaps Eligos has simply abandoned them here. (Or maybe none at all end up marooned and everyone goes home? That all depends on you, dear reader.)

When the sky goes dark, the aptly named Heavy Heart shoves off, with only her crimson sails hanging suspended seemingly in midair in the moonlight. The black ship is otherwise consumed by the night. And soon, even those flashes of red vanish into the distance.

Moments recede into memories, like a dying fire settles gently into glowing embers at the bottom of a hearth. The festivities are over, and the guests are gone. Life in Pumpkin Hollow resumes as before. But maybe just a little warmer and brighter.

“My birthday is your birthday,” as Dahlia often says.

Happy birthday.

References to the appearance of Leeds Estate can be found here!

Comments

[when_december_ends]

"You kidding? I haven't seen any of you guys in forever! I would give anything to be here," Dess says.

And she means it.

"But don't feel like you gotta stick your neck out for me or anything. I can handle myself."

[montyhall]

"Ha, hey!! Is it sticking my neck out to do a favor for an old friend!?" Don't actually answer that, Dess. "Look, I haven't been here too long, myself, but I've got a few connections around town, so who's it gonna hurt if I just ask around, you know what I mean...?"

Tenna's tone of voice is entirely conspiratorial, and mostly light-hearted — but that doesn't mean he's insincere in his intent, not in the least. He will back off a bit, though, if only for the moment.

"It's... Gosh, I can't even tell you how great it is to see you again, Dess." He starts for a smile, but it catches on the question he most desperately wants to ask, the one he almost certainly has no business asking but he can't stop himself from it no matter how hard he tries— "Where did you go?"

[when_december_ends]

"Alright, alright. If you insist." Dess smiles, shrugs, doesn't get her hopes up. It's fine, though. And hey, Tenna's changing the subject!

Oh.

No not that.

"That's classified," Dess says, playing it off with a wink. "But it's good to see you, too. And the others. I really, really missed everyone."

[montyhall]

How many times has this happened to him before? That he just wanted the answer to (what was, at least in his own mind) a simple question, only to be brushed off like it didn't matter at all... Who do you keep talking to? Where did you go? Why can't I see you? Who keeps calling you? Where did you go? Where did you—

But!! Come on, Tenna, it's Dess!! And it may have been such a very long time since he could last count her among his Lightners, but she's still his Lightner, isn't she? She's still a Lightner... Isn't she?

"You- You're right!!" It's at this moment he realizes just how tightly he'd been wringing his hands together, and he shakes it off with a wave and (what he hopes is) an easygoing laugh. "It's...so good to see you. And, the kids... I'm sure they really...really missed you, too... You know?"

(Would she have told them what she won't tell him? If that's the case, then... It really doesn't matter that she doesn't tell him, does it? It's none of his business, after all. He didn't even know she was missing until after Noelle told him, after all. He didn't even know. It's none of his business. It's none of his business.)

[when_december_ends]

Ah jeez, it didn’t work, now he’s just more worried. Dess rubs the back of her neck anxiously, beads of her necklaces clacking together. “Listen, I know that’s a dumb answer. But it’s only half a joke when I say it’s classified, you feel me? I—“

They won’t forgive you, when they find out what you are. They won’t forgive Kris either. It’ll be all your fault. It’ll be all your fault. Kris already hates you for what happened to Tenna, you think Tenna won’t start next? Then Noelle? It’s better if you just finish what you started. Maybe then the world will end and we’ll all die before anyone finds out what a mess you’ve made.

A chill runs down Dess’s spine. It feels like black-armored fingers are crawling up her back, around her throat. She can almost feel the holes in the palms…

Dess puts her hands on Tenna’s upper arms, resisting the impulse to wince as she does. You’ve lost the right to touch what you’ve broken. “I promise this will all make sense eventually. Can you trust me for a little while?”

[montyhall]

It shouldn't hurt, the way she touches him where she does; her grip isn't nearly that strong. Is it? No, of course it isn't. There's no reason at all for him to feeling any twinges of pain, or the prickle of ice seeping into his joints—

No! No, no, there's no reason for it whatsoever, no reason at all for him to be thinking back to all that ice and snow, not when Dess had nothing to do with it, not when she wasn't even here to have anything to do with it... Right?

Tenna forces himself to nod.

"O-Of course!" Of course he can; why wouldn't he? "Of course, I... I trust you, Dess." He smiles, and he places one of his own hands over hers, in a gesture of completely genuine, not-at-all trepidatious sentiment. "How could I not?"

[when_december_ends]

"Thanks, bud. I really appreciate that." She smiles right back. "Things are complicated right now. But it'll all be okay."

Will it?

Time to pivot, before this gets any more uncomfortable. Gas him up again.

"It is good to see you, though, for real. I didn't know you could be a person, but I always loved coming over to watch stuff with Kris and Az, so it's nostalgic. Must be a big deal for Kris, though, right? I think it's like--- a lot of people's dream come true, to have a comfort item come to life."

[montyhall]

"Ah... You think so?" Tenna finally relaxes a bit, having successfully been distracted from everything else going on by a single mention of Kris. "I mean, uh— Maybe you're right, it's just! For a while there, I... Heh, I wasn't really sure if I...if I was any comfort at all, you know?"

Given the long stretches of time he spent not even plugged into the wall, unable to even try to serve his purpose... Who could he have comforted then, when all he could do was gather dust?

"But!!" Tenna claps his hands (again, no smash cut) as if forcing a change of subject. "Things are different now!! And Kris and I, we, uh, we already talked everything out, so..." Everything, as far as he knows, at least. Still, his expression continues to soften. "So... It's...good. You know? Despite everything else going on, it's... It's good that we get to spend this time together."

It's good that we get to spend this time with you, he thinks. But he can't quite bring himself to say it, as though saying it aloud might break whatever spell brought her here in the first place.